This article applies to the BlueFlyVario_Bluetooth_v11 and BlueFlyVario_Bluetooth_USB_v12, although the instructions are also suitable for earlier versions. If these examples do not work please try on another Android device, or contact me for further troubleshooting. Make sure to include details of any error messages.
Before you start make sure that BlueFly blue light is flashing after you start it up, and that the BlueFly audio is otherwise working normally
Connect using the XCTrack android app
We will attempt to establish a working connection between your BlueFly and the XCTrack app on an Android device. Follow these steps:
- Shutdown the BlueFly.
- In your Android settings menu make sure that the BlueFly is not paired with your Android device (unpair it – you may need to tap ‘Forget’).
- Restart your Android device by shutting it down and restarting it.
- Start up your BlueFly then pair it to your Android device from the settings menu. Your BlueFly should be named BlueFly-XXXX when you search or refresh from your Android device. You might need to enter pin code ‘1234’ on older devices.
- In the XCTrack app drag down from the top of the screen to get the menu. Tap Preferences, then Connection & Sensors.
- Under the Connection area tap External sensor and select Bluetooth sensor , then select the BlueFly-XXXX that you paired with in step 4. Exit out of the menu to the main screen.
- XCTrack should connect to the BlueFly and provide a notification, and the little bluetooth icon in the top right should change from having a red exclamation mark next to it to looking healthy. If it does not connect shut down the BlueFly with a long press on the button, then start it again. XCTrack should try to connect to it again.
- When the Bluefly is connected the blue LED should double flash about once per second.
- At this point the vertical speed display on XCTrack should be responsive to vertical movement from the BlueFly.
- To look at the data go back into the Connection & Sensors menu. Near the bottom under the Atmospheric pressure sensor area tap on Calibrate. Here you should be able to see the pressure information streaming in from the vario at a rate of 50 measurements a second. I set the smoothing factor at the default 0.0300. You might like to play with it to see how it works.
- Note that you can not adjust any of the settings on the BlueFly from within XCTrack. If you want to adjust the settings you should use the BFVDesktop application on a PC.
Connect using the xcsoar android app
We will attempt to establish a working connection between your BlueFly and the xcsoar app on an Android device. Follow these steps:
- Shutdown the BlueFly.
- In your Android settings menu make sure that the BlueFly is not paired with your Android device (unpair it – you may need to tap ‘Forget’).
- Restart your Android device by shutting it down and restarting it.
- Start up your BlueFly then pair it to your Android device from the settings menu. Your BlueFly should be named BlueFly-XXXX when you search or refresh from your Android device. You might need to enter pin code ‘1234’ on older devices.
- In the xcsoar app double tap or draw a V to bring up the menu. Tap Config, then Devices.
- Edit Device B to be Built in GPS & Sensors. The order of devices matters and we want xcsoar to use pressure data from the BlueFly first.
- Edit Device A. Under the Port select BlueFly-XXXX from step 4, and change the Driver to BlueFly Vario.
- Back at the Devices menu you should see ‘Connected, Baro‘ when xcsoar connects to the BlueFly. If it does not connect shut down the BlueFly with a long press on the button, then start it again. xcsoar should try to connect to it again, or you might have to prompt it by tapping the Reconnect button.
- When the Bluefly is connected the blue LED should double flash about once per second.
- In the Devices menu tap on Monitor to see the data streaming in from the vario at 50 Hz (lots of PRS XXXXX measurements).
- In the Devices menu you can tap on Manage to change just two of the many settings on the Bluefly; the volume and outputMode. It is possible to change the outputMode, and then use a different driver, but I do not recommend it on Android.
- Back at the main xcsoar screen you might want to switch one of the info boxes to Vario, and another to Vario Trace to see how it reacts to the vario moving.
- You might also want to go Menu | Config | System | Look | Screen Layout and then select an InfoBox geometry that includes the Vario. I use 8 Bottom + Vario (Portrait). You can configure this graphic vario in Menu | Config | System | Gauges | Vario.
- Note that you can not adjust any of the other settings on the BlueFly from within xcsoar. If you want to adjust the settings you should use the BFVDesktop application on a PC.
Connect using the BlueFlyVario android app
We will attempt to establish a working connection between your BlueFly and the BlueFlyVario android app on an Android device [Note that the BlueFlyVario android app has not been updated since 2016 as most pilots use xcsoar or XCTrack]. Follow these steps:
- Shutdown the BlueFly.
- In your Android settings menu make sure that the BlueFly is not paired with your Android device (unpair it – you may need to tap ‘Forget’).
- Restart your Android device by shutting it down and restarting it.
- Start up your BlueFly then pair it to your Android device from the settings menu. Your BlueFly should be named BlueFly_XXXX when you search or refresh from your Android device. You might need to enter pin code ‘1234’ on older devices.
- With the BlueFlyVario app open press the menu button on your Android device. Some newer Android devices do not have a menu button. You might need to long press on the home or app button. Google your phone model and ‘menu button’ to work it out.
- Tap ‘Connect a device’ from the menu. This needs to be done within 180 seconds of the BlueFly being started. If you are not quick enough restart the BlueFly then try again.
- If that does not work, then go to Menu|Bluetooth|’Bluetooth connect method’ then select ‘Reflection’. Try again from step 5.
- When the Bluefly is connected the blue LED should double flash about once per second.